St. Lawrence Church Organ Recital
St. Lawrence Church will hold an organ recital by Frederick Swann, Organist Emeritus of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Calif. Wednesday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the church. The recital is part of the year-long celebration of the installation of the Schlicker pipe organ. Swann was the organist for 25 years at the Riverside Church in New York City. In 1982 he was appointed Organist and Director of Music of the Crystal Cathedral. He retired from the Cathedral in 1998, and accepted the position of Organist-in-Residence at the First Congregational Church in Los Angeles. He retired from full-time duties in 2001 and began a two-season recital tour. This concert is one of the events in Swann's farewell recital season. St. Lawrence Church is seeking people or businesses that might be interested in advertising in the program that will be distributed at the recital. For more information contact the church at 860/663-2576.

Post-Season Basketball Schedule Set
The Haddam-Killingworth boys basketball team is ranked second in the Shoreline Conference behind Hyde of New Haven. Both teams receive a bye into the semi-finals set for Tuesday, March 2 at 7:00 p.m. The Cougars will host the winner of Saturday's Coginchaug/Old Saybrook game. Hyde hosts the winner of the Westbrook/Old Lyme game. The finals are set for Friday, March 5 in Durham.

The HK girl's basketball team is ranked 23rd in the Class S State Basketball Tournament. Number one seed Cromwell, finished the season 20-0. The Cougars will compete in the first round against number 10 seed Sacred Heart on Monday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m. in Waterbury. The winner of that game will play Wednesday, March 3 against the winner of the Woodland/Somers game. HK fell to Sacred Heart, 47-43 in their last regular-season game on Feb. 19.

HK Recreation Offers Hip-Hop Classes
The Haddam-Killingworth Recreation Department is offering a hip-hop dance class Mondays, March 8 - May 3, at the H-K High School cafeteria. Learn street funk moves such as the hangman, King Tut, popping, locking, waving, up-rock steps, floor-work moves, power moves and other popular break dance skills. Members from the popular Invisible Force Crew New Haven break dance group will join some classes to share their professional skills. Culture, history and stereotypes of hip-hop will be discussed throughout. Students will develop popular steps, an individual style, and distinctive rhythm. Children in grades one to three will meet from 4 to 5 p.m. and grades four to eight will meet from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. The fee is $50. Non-residents, add $5. For more information contact HK Recreation at 345-8334.

Read Across America Celebrates 100th Birthday of Dr. Suess
The National Education Association is celebrating the 100th birthday of Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Suess, on Tuesday, March 2 with its annual Read Across America Day. The aim of the celebration is to generate enthusiasm for reading nationwide and focus the country's attention on how important it is to motivate children to read. Killingworth Elementary School teacher Susan Dean is asking KES parents to come in and read a story to a class on that day. To volunteer to read please call KES at 663-1121. According to the NEA, reading opens the doors to achievement, and Read Across America Day celebrations, whether large or small, are crucial building blocks toward making the joys of reading an integral part of every child's life. Need help deciding on a book? The NEA website has a list of the Teachers' Top 100 Books. For more information on Dr. Suess books go to www.seussville.com

Farmhouse Heat to be Installed
With Board of Finance approval of the $4,470 expenditure to heat the Bosco Farmhouse, East River Energy of Guilford will begin installation immediately of the warm-air furnace. Now the Board of Selectmen must decide if it is in the best interest of the Town to accept the monetary gift from the Historical Society.

At the Board of Selectmen's meeting Monday, discussion leaned toward funding the project on the 133-acre town-own property out of town funds. First Selectman David Denvir ultimately tabled the issue until the Board could discuss the gift with members of the Historical Society. He said the Board of Finance could not approve the expenditure based on the Selectmen accepting the gift. Denvir said an option was to inform the Historical Society that the town was "impressed and grateful for the gift", but it will accept the gift with the understanding that the town may not reimburse them. That way the Historical Society could decide to give the gift or not. The Historical Society's original proposal included a contingency in the formal motion for reimbursement of its gift if the town decided on a different permanent use for the house. They would like to use the house as a historical museum and display area.

Selectman Charles Morgan said the town should take care of its own buildings and that accepting this type of gift would "open up a can of worms". Selectman Louis Annino said he was not in favor of accepting the gift now and suggested the heat be installed immediately and the acceptance of the gift delayed until later in the spring when some decision could be made on use of the property.

Seventh Grader Wins District Spelling Bee
Haddam-Killingworth Middle School student, Keith Thomas spelled the word "Lindy" correctly to win a spot in the New Haven Register state-wide Spelling Bee Competition yesterday at Burr Elementary School. The regional competition featured 24 students in grades 5-8 from Killingworth, Burr and Haddam Elementary Schools, and the HK Middle School. Killingworth eighth-grader Christine Tischbein was the runner-up in the event. Each participant received a certificate of recognition and a $5 gift certificate to Borders Bookstore from the Haddam Junior Women's Club. The state event will be held March 18 at Southern Connecticut State University. This competition is part of the 77th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee Competition. It is the nation's largest and longest-running educational promotion, administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company and 243 sponsors in the United States, Europe, Guam, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, The Bahamas, and American Samoa. The winners of the state competition will advance to the finals in Washington D.C. in May. The other District participants were: Leanne Brooks, Connor MacDonald, Sarah Otis, Maura Calamari, Jeff Hall, Eric Rich, Jeanna Esteves, Colin Sledzik, Ashley Scully, Sean Martin, Stephen Taylor, Michelle Donadio, Alexis Bowen, Regan Hammell, Colleen Phelan, Jeanette Faust, Richelle Jessey, Alex Fabian, Willy Tobleman, Mike Dunn, Derrick Weiss, Daisy Schmitt and Kristy Zera.

Building Committee Stands Behind School Decisions
The Region 17 School District Building Committee and members of the Board of Education answered several dozen questions last night at a public information session on the progress of the Intermediate/Middle School. Building Committee Chairman, Kjell Tollefsen assured residents that the mandate set down by voter referendum last February to build the school on the Route 81 site for under $48.365 million, is on budget, design and work completed has met or exceeded local and state regulations, and that the project is essentially on schedule. Tollefsen said the committee was pleased with the site and no problems have arisen to warrant discussion for a change. Out of the 13 parcels looked at in the pre-referendum stage, he said, this property was the most cost-effective and offered good accessibility from both Haddam and Killingworth. Tollefsen opened the meeting with a brief overview of the project's progress and then deferred to moderator Dan O'Sullivan for questions and follow-up from the floor.

A major topic was the property line issue with Harold and Mary Webber. Tollefsen confirmed that the School District has filed suit in Connecticut Superior Court against the Webbers in order to establish mete and bounds property lines on the far northern border of the school property. The Class A-2 survey done last June prior to purchase, established the property lines but recommended a property line agreement with the Webbers. Tollefsen said the Webbers have never claimed to own more land than established by the survey but that repeated attempts to enter into an agreement have failed. Tollefsen said it was good business practice to establish a definite property line once and for all. He assured residents that the project would not be delayed because of the suit, state funding was not effected by the suit and that any changes in the surveyed property lines would be negligible and not effect the entrance to the school or the timing of construction. The School District has received title insurance for the property from First American Title Company. Killingworth First Selectman and practicing attorney, David Denvir stepped forward to clarify the legal terms and practices associated with title insurance. He explained that extensive title research is done to protect the insurance company from claims. Any future claims would be the responsibility of the insurance company and they would be liable for any damages. Tollefsen reiterated that the School District has "clear title" to the property.

Other questions referred to safety issues at the school. Building Official Richard Leighton, who worked with Killingworth Fire Chief Alfred Dudek to establish the fire safety plan for the school, said he was confident in the school's accessibility to emergency vehicles and the overall plan for the project. He said the sprinkler system, stairwell specifications and water availability were appropriate for the facility.

Questions about Route 81 access, site lines and road conditions were also addressed. According to Tollefsen, the State Traffic Commission, which has authority over changes and improvements to Route 81, has not proposed any road widening, lights or major changes to the site area. He said the site lines are more than double the required distance to the school entrance from the north and south.

Tollefsen, who fielded the majority of the evening's questions, offered additional dates and access for questions not addressed. The Building Committee has regular meetings on the third Wednesday of every month. There is a meeting tonight in the HK High School lower media center at 7:00 p.m. The agenda is posted here. He also said he can be reached by email at tollefsenk@sbcglobal.net or by contacting the Central Office at 345-4534.

Board of Finance Approves Purchase of Road Sweeper and Compactor
The Killingworth Board of Finance approved the $15,000 purchase of a used road sweeper from the Town of Westport at its Feb. 10 meeting. Town residents must now vote on the expenditure at a public meeting, yet to be scheduled. The Board also approved $3,000 for a new compactor and $2,000 for site work according to First Selectman David Denvir. According to the Clinton Recorder, First Selectman Denvir also indicated he would ask the finance board "for a sizable raise" in the Town's 2004-2005 budget. Denvir currently makes $52,500 with a $1,200 allowance for out-of-office meeting expenses, a $500 allowance for a cell phone and a $1,000 allowance for automobile use and mileage. The two other selectmen receive stipends of $3,000 each with no allowances. Selectman Louis Annino Sr. said they may also ask for a modest increase.

HK Boys Fall to Westbrook But Still Clinch Division
The Haddam-Killingworth boys basketball team lost to Westbrook, 56-75, last night in its final regular season game but still managed to finish on top of the Western Division of the Shoreline Conference. The Cougars were led by Ryan Murray with 20 points followed by Cory Riordan with 10 and Brett Zanardi with 9. HK finishes the regular season 15-5. Hyde of New Haven won the Eastern Division crown. Conference play begins on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Selectmen Meeting Raises Questions for Building Committee
At the regular meeting of the Killingworth Board of Selectmen, Monday, school zoning issues, the question format for the Reg. No. 17 Building Committee public hearing tonight and continuing boundary line concerns for the Intermediate School were discussed. First Selectman David Denvir said he was recently informed by Kjell Tollefson, Chairman of the Building Committee, that the Town of Killingworth may not have zoning regulations in place for schools. Denvir questioned this information because a public school, according to the State Constitution, has to be an accepted use and therefore would "not be a prohibited use". He said, however, he would look into the matter to determine if the regulations were in place, there had been an oversight, or new regulations needed to be passed.

Michael Board, of the Killingworth Taxpayers Association, voiced his concern that questions would have to be presented in writing and asked through a moderator at tonight's Building Committee public hearing. He said," Going through a moderator is too controlled". Board said he doubted that residents would get complete answers without the ability to follow up on questions. First Selectman David Denvir said when asked about a format, he thought written questions with a moderator would be appropriate but also agreed that giving a chance for follow-up was important. Selectman Louis Annino also expressed disappointment in the written question format.

Selectman Denvir raised the issue of the continuing boundary dispute between the Reg. 17 School District and property owners, Harold and Mary Webber. In a January 2004 letter to residents, the Building Committee said the surveyors and the attorneys had established property lines and are ready, willing and prepared to meet and resolve any minor disputes over the boundaries of the property. Denvir said he was informed that the School District had recently filed suit against the Webbers to establish those property lines. Michael Board provided the Selectmen and media with a copy of the complaint filed in Connecticut Superior Court on Jan 30, 2004. The complaint seeks to establish boundary lines for the District-owned property and establish legal descriptions for the two adjacent parcels of land. According to the complaint, the original deed for the Webber's land failed to provide a metes and bounds measurement or an approximate acreage indication. This left the School District in doubt, after its June 2003 survey, to the precise location of the boundaries. The complaint says that in July 2003, the School District attempted to resolve the issue but was informed in August, that the Webbers would not enter into an agreement because they did not want the school driveway to run along the boundary line. The School District's offer to relocate the driveway in December did not resolve the issue. The law firm of Kroll, McNamara, Evans and Delehanty is representing the School District.

The Building Committee Public Hearing will be held in the lower media center of HK High School tonight at 7:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting is posted here.

Venus in Killingworth
The planet Venus was clearly visible tonight along side the late February crescent moon.

Planet Venus Visible Tonight

The planet Venus will be visible in the western sky at dusk this evening. Often mistaken for a UFO, Venus called the "Evening Star," will be visible to the right of the 3 1/2 day-old crescent Moon. According to Sky and Telescope, provided there are clear skies, you can't miss this celestial sighting. The moon will have only about 15 percent of its disk illuminated by the Sun. But anyone who looks closer will likely make out the rest of the lunar disk glowing faintly. This effect is known as earthshine. Reflected sunlight from Earth shines onto the Moon's night landscape, providing a dull illumination. Venus is so brilliant for two reasons: it is closer to the Sun than Earth so it gets lit more brightly, and its white clouds reflect sunlight very well.

Although the Moon and Venus look close together, they're actually at very different distances. On Feb. 23, the moon is 244,000 miles from Earth, but Venus is 370 times farther: 90 million miles away. Venus is sometimes called our sister planet because it is similar in size to Earth.

To read more about Venus go to:
solarsystem.nasa.gov
Jet Propulsion Lab

Town Board Minutes
The minutes from the Town of Killingworth Board of Selectmen regular meeting Feb 9, 2004 have been posted here.

The minutes from the Town of Killingworth Planning and Zoning Commission meeting 839, Feb. 3, 2004 have been posted here.

Lions Club Senior Dinner
The Killingworth Lions Club's Seventh Annual Mid-Winter Senior Dinner attracted 82 town residents to the St. Lawrence Church Hall, Saturday. Seniors enjoyed entertainment by Tom Callihan while dining on stuffed chicken and all the fixings. The free event was open to Killingworth residents 65 and older.

Library Music Program Registration
Registration for the Killingworth Library's 'Music with Margie' opens today for the session starting March 2. The program runs Tuesday's from 10:45-11:15 a.m. Space is limited and in-person registration is required. Priority will be given to residents of Killingworth and those children who were not enrolled in the winter session.

Agenda Set for Building Committee Public Hearing
The Regional School District No. 17 Board of Education Building Committee has set its agenda for Tuesday's Public Hearing on the Intermediate/Middle School plans. The meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the lower media center of HK High School. A brief overview of the project will be presented at the beginning of the meeting followed by a question and answer period.

The Building Committee's regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 p.m. in the lower media center of HK high School. The agenda is posted here.

High School Sports Weekend
The Haddam-Killingworth girls basketball team was eliminated from the Shoreline Conference Championships Saturday with a, 59-43, loss at North Branford. Senior Kelsey Pratt led the Cougars with 14 points followed by Lauren McKinnon with 11, Kristen Hetsko with 6 and Candice Webber with 5 points. The Thunderbirds were led by Karen Krasko with 22 points.

The Haddam-Killingworth girls indoor track team finished ninth in the CIAC State Open Indoor Track Championships, Saturday, with a strong fourth-place finish from Danielle Funaro in the 1,000m run and a second place finish for the Sprint Medley Relay of Meghan Scanlon, Kimber Stannard, Katelyn Deimel and Funaro. The Sprint Medley Relay was won by Weaver High School in state open record time and was enough to propel Weaver to a fourth place team finish. Wilbur Cross won the overall team title.

Cup of Light
by Nicole Mones
ISBN: 0385319452

This suspenseful novel takes the reader to Beijing, where Lia Frank, a world-class American appraiser of fine Chinese porcelain has traveled to assess a large collection of ancient pots. Her assignment is to determine if the pots are authentic - a daunting task given the number of objects she must examine. Lia relies on her acute sense of memory to help her place the pots in context. She possesses a special gift of photographic memory - a virtual storeroom of images of pots she has studied or read about in the past. Using this powerful mental tool, Lia is able to identify the age and location of origin of each pot, with the exception of one, which contains its own mystery to be solved.

In trying to discover the origin of this fine piece of Chinese porcelain, Lia uncovers insights into previously unrevealed historical events during the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty in China. During Lia's risky and sometimes dangerous journey into the art underworld, she inadvertently discovers previously unseen facets of her own personality.

After reading Mones' novel of intrigue and art history you will see Chinese porcelain, and pottery in general, in a different light. Mones' first novel, Lost in Translation, was a New York Times Notable Book.

Susan Miller is the Associate Director of the Arnold Bernhard Library at Quinnipiac University. She holds a Bachelor and Master of Music from Ohio State University and a M.S. in Library Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Contact Susan at covertocover@killingworthtoday.com